Grayscale - Nella Vita Album Review

Review by Alicia Dittman

Grayscale have blessed us with their third studio album. Fans like myself have been patiently waiting for the follow up to “Adornment,” that was released in May of 2017. Grayscale is from Philadelphia, PA and consists of Collin Walsh (vocals), Nick Venti (guitar), Dallas Molster (vocals/guitar), Alex Kyne (guitar) and Nick Veno (drums). They are known for their cryptic tweets and messages to the Grayscale fans. Early in May of this year, they sent fans in their All Access, passwords to listen to 45 seconds of a brand-new song. That song was “Painkiller Weather.” They performed “Painkiller Weather” live on the YOU ARE OK tour with The Maine and fans went nuts over it. They released then three more singles, “In Violet,” “Old Friends,” and lastly “Baby Blue.”

“Nella Vita” in its entirely is something completely different from what we are used to hearing from the Philadelphia pop punk band. The sound is something from the 80s and early 90s mixed into what we know as the band Grayscale. This album tells us stories that we haven’t heard before and in a different way than what we are used to as Grayscale fans. “Nella Vita” means ‘in life’ and that is portrayed throughout the entirety of the album.

This album explores life from many different sides. Walsh wrote about his grandfather being in the hospital and finally making amends after not talking to each other for quite some time, songs about death and how Walsh doesn’t want anyone to be sad when he passes on from this life, but to dance and smile and laugh, and then an ode to Walsh’s cousin Tommy who took his own life at the very end of the album.

I am proud of the moves that Grayscale have made and how they have managed to keep true to their selves and make a record that means a lot to them and will mean a lot to fans alike.

Grayscale have embarked on their very first headline tour which started on September 3rd in Asbury, NJ and goes across the United States throughout September and ends in October in Philadelphia